I am pleased to let you know that I have been asked to assist in helping people with stray and feral cat questions on a new website soon to be launched, backed by the Cat Fancier’s Association.
When sending in my first article about what to do with a stray kitten you see in your yard, I suggested to the woman in charge of the website the possibility of adding a feature (once a month) that showcases not a pedigreed cat, but a stray.
The idea has been embraced and so I am asking my readers if you have a stray cat story that is exceptional (and yes, I know that ALL stray cats are exceptional) but if you have one that truly has given you different gifts, or made you appreciate your life when you didn’t before. Please contact me through this blog and let me share the story with the new audience.
I am thrilled to be a part of this project and once the website launches, I will provide the address. It is parked right at the moment.
Oh Mary Ann, I have 2 wonderful stories I would love to share. One of my feral Gracie, who is now the sweetest most loving girl. And the other is a stray named Zach, who twice after he was moved from his old place to a new place found his way back to his original spot, and after being hit by a car! He now resides here with us and is a very content indoor only cat!!
I have a wonderful story – we are living in Greece and a lovely stray has adopted us. She just had kittens (only 2 as she herself is very small). We knew she was pregnant as we watched her grow over the last few weeks. She, now known as Cute Cat, visits us for tit-bits along with others from the village. One morning a few days ago I could hear a kitten in the bushes behind our house. Cute cat came out to have a stroke and some water and disapeared only to re-appear with a kitten in her mouth. She looked around a little frantic and dropped the kitten at our feet. I hastily threw together a make shift nest with a towel and chair. She settled straight in and the very next day we had another new arrival right there. All 3 have now moved into our shed and are cosied up in a gigantic removals box! I have never had a pet and although we feed and water the strays that have the nerve to come see us, we would like to take care of Cute Cat and her babies. I have never named a cat that visits us as thier life span tends to be short in this area and it can be upsetting. But we are determined that Cute Cat will live a full and healthy life from this poiint on.
I think it’s fantastic that you’re going to be writing about ferals. I’ve read your blog a couple times over to learn tips on what to do. I’ve been fostering ferals for two years now and I’m up to 5, one of them is pregnant (which I’ve never fostered a pregnant feral before). I have had 3 different mothers give birth here so at least it isn’t ALL new to me.
I need to ask, are there different levels of feral? I have one who doesn’t like to be touched but she loves to be around people, the others (two who are TNR) love being pet but are flighty and the pregnant one is flighty but once you pet her she’s on her back, rolling around, purring her heart out. Can you tell when it’s just a stray who has lost trust in people or when it’s a feral? Is there anything in their behavior that stands out where there is a difference between the two?
Brum,
I can only speak from my own experience, but a true feral is quite unreachable. You only see them early in the morning, or late late at night (unless they happen to be injured) They are aggressive on all fronts and when confined in a room, they will crawl up the walls and run laps over your head near your ceiling. They strike out when you are trying to work with them and you can never “tame” them.
The word “feral” is used to often in my opinion. Most strays living outside are just that, strays with feral tendencies. If you took a house cat and threw it outside and forgot about it (which more than often is what happens) In order to survive, this cat will revert back to its feral ways especially when it hasn’t been neutered.
If the queen gives birth and there is no human intervention with the litter in the first two weeks after the kittens hit the ground, they will be scared of human touch. Most have been traumatized by people and once you have bonded with this type of cat, you have a friend for life. They really are molded by life experience (just like we are). To bond with them, you get down to their level, avoid meeting their eyes directly, speak softly and set up a routine they can depend on- food/water so many times a day, litter changes so many times a day, playtime with something like Da Bird at least once a day followed by a meaty treat- and the bonding will happen. Don’t expect them to respond as kittens who grew up being loved by both a queen and humans do- it just won’t happen. But every cat outside seems to be labeled “feral” and that is just not what they are- they are often cats who have been neglected or born from a queen who has been neglected. Humans let them down so they are slow to trust anything with two legs that interact with them.
Also, in my experience, regardless of feral or stray, you can never “tame” them. You can socialize them and that is a big difference. 🙂